Doctors to be paid for days they were on strike

President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing members of the public. PHOTO/PSCU(PSCU)–Doctors will be paid for the three months they were on strike, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.President Kenyatta said the Government will do so even though they did not work and many Kenyans seeking services in public hospitals suffered at the time. He urged governors to also pay doctors working in their hospitals.The President said it was unfortunate that people who have been educated by taxpayers and taken an oath to treat patients without favour, violated it, leading to suffering.President Kenyatta spoke when he toured Kiambu County where he thanked residents for heeding his call to register as voters in huge numbers.The President said although workers have a right to go on strike, doctors should have been more responsible to save lives rather than let Kenyans die because of a ‘’salary increase’’.“Can we bring back to life those who died because of lack of medical care during the doctor’s strike?’’ the President asked.He said though he said doctors be paid for the period they did not work, he would not be magnanimous if another strike is called.“You took an oath to treat patients whether it is day or night; you swore to save life with or without money,’’ the President said.President Kenyatta said the Jubilee administration has worked hard to improve health services by making sure each county has two well equipped hospitals.He said through the Managed Equipment Services project, Kenya’s healthcare has been transformed and Kenyans can now access specialised healthcare services near them.The President also singled out the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), saying it has been improved to be the insurance for all Kenyans.Today all public servants and wananchi who are ensured through NHIF are able to access the best healthcare without any problem.He called on the residents to support the Jubilee Government by turning out in large numbers to vote for the party to continue with its development agenda.The President who made stopovers in various trading centres said he doesn’t favour any aspirant and that wananchi have the last say by choosing those they want in the party’s nominations.Deputy President William Ruto said the opposition are still undecided on who their flag bearer will be and that’s why they want to take shortcut.He said the only legal recognized tallying centre is that of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Committee (IEBC) and urged the opposition to declare their development agenda instead of trying to create confusion among Kenyans.“It doesn’t matter how many tallying centres they have, IEBC is the only institution which is mandated to announce election results,” said the deputy president.

Help us report stories that expose environmental degradation, deforestation, pollution, poaching and ivory trade, illegal fishing, dumping of toxic waste, e-waste and plastics, illegal mining, climate change and impacts of global warming on different sectors of the economy and communities, not only in Africa, but also across the globe. While traditional news reporting is losing its relevance, serious investigative journalism requires more than basic journalistic skills. To do this we require a lot of resources.You can either BECOME A SPONSOR or MAKE A CONTRIBUTION

Nelson Mandela once said: “A critical, independent, and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favor. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens.”

If you like our journalism support us to continue bringing you groundbreaking and agenda setting stories.